The HR World’s webinar, The Gender Agenda: How Organisations Are Still Missing Out On the Skills of Women brought together Jacqueline Frost, CEO, Elevate Talent and webinar sponsor, Jen Denby, Global Head of Inclusion and Diversity, WTW and Valerie Dale, Group Chief People Officer, OCS to discuss how organisations were missing out on the full potential of women in their workforce.
The discussion was wider ranging and full of practice advice. Here, the panellists tackle two more questions arising from the subject:
Q: Should organisations provide different support and ideas to women at different stages of their career? Do women who are later in their careers need different interventions from those who are just starting out?
Jacqueline Frost: From my experience coaching senior women for 15 years and running leadership programmes for mid-level women, it’s clear that consistent support and ideas should be provided throughout different career stages. Early on, leadership begins with self-leadership – equipping women with the tools to recognise their strengths, make an impact, and realise their potential. This foundation then grows into the ability to lead others, making it essential to introduce leadership concepts early, regardless of gender.
The difference lies in the journey. For men, the leadership path is well-established with clear models to follow. For women, however, the route is less defined and still evolving, with fewer frameworks to guide them. This is why consistent leadership training is vital, helping women navigate their journey and also paving the way for future generations.
Q: I’m providing HR support for a small business. How can I provide the right level of support to women in my organisation given the stress on funds and resources?
Jen Denby: Use your data to help you prioritise. What does it tell you about where your areas of opportunity are? Just pick one or two things to focus on and do them well rather than try and do everything.
Valerie Dale: There are lots of ways to support women that don’t cost anything or only a small budget. Things like:
- Networking groups, events etc
- Mentoring (internally or externally)
- Working on projects to improve areas that need development eg stakeholder management
- Use resources available to you through memberships and networks eg CIPD have a vast amount of information and material
Elevate Talent’s EPIC Career Self-Assessment can help provide a clear view of an individual’s progress through a ‘before and after’ comparison. The results, compiled into a comprehensive EPIC report, offers valuable insights and is available to download here: https://elevatetalent.co.uk/epic-report-sign-up/
If you’re curious about how it works, you can take the assessment yourself and explore the questions asked throughout the process. https://elevatetalent.co.uk/epic-career-quiz/
